California Scientists Design Working Tricorder
Scientists at the University of California have created what just might be a working tricorder like the ones used in the Star Trek TV series. They aren’t actually calling it a tricorder, but the Universal Detector is a catchy name never-the-less (and one that will avoid a lawsuit).
The device would use nano-technology to figure out what kind of contaminants are present on any surface that you point the device at. Essentially you should be able to point this thing at anything and figure out what it’s made of. The idea uses a back plate that is filled with nanoscale holes. When placed on a surface the back plate is zapped with laser light and the surface plasmons that form emit light with a frequency related to the materials touching the plate. The only problem is that, the device, while sound in theory, will need a system that can decode the light signatures it produces.
If your not willing to wait for this to hit the market than you could always get this tricorder that will run on your iPhone.
